October 30, 2010

Saying this project is a Lightning Simulator is a bit of an understatement since it is also a breathalyzer, a music light show and much more. It’s setup on an outdoor patio and looks like it is tons of fun! Check out the build log for lots more information on this complex build.

“The project also needed sound for the Breathalyzer feature as well as some of the other effects, the Adafruit WaveShield fit the bill for this. Line level audio comes out of the WaveShield and goes into an existing whole house audio sound system (the Nuvo Grand Concerto). It was a 70ft run to the Grand Concerto audio system and unfortunately line level audio picks up noise very quickly on long runs so audio baluns over CAT5 were used to eliminate the noise.

For the Graphic Equalizer (VU Meter) feature, line level audio goes out from the Grand Concerto audio system into an analog input pin on the Arduino Mega.”